Tongue-support



(No Model.)

M. L. HORNER.

TONGUE SUPPORT. No. 406,283. Patented July 2, 1889 INVENTOR Attorneys UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MARTIN LUTHER noRNEE, OF ASTORIA, ILLINOIS.

TONGUE-SUPPORT.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent No. 406,283, dated July 2, 1889.

Application filed March 21, 1839. Serial No. 304,161. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MARTIN LUTHER HOR- NER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Astoria, in the county of Fulton and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inTlongue-Supports; an d I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to tongue-supports for harvesters, mowing-machines, and other implements or vehicles; and it has for its object to relieve the draft-animal of the weight of the pole and implement or vehicle while permitting the angle of the tongue with relation to the frame of the machine to be changed with ease and facility, and to accommodate itself to unevenness in the surface of the ground or to pass obstructions without inury.

WVith these ends in view my invention consists of a dependinghanger carried by the tongue at an intermediate point of its length, and having a caster-wheel at its lower end adapted to ride ortravel on the ground. This hanger is preferably made of spring metal and inclined downwardly and rearwardly from its point of connection with the tongue, so that the hanger is adapted to yield or give, and thus enable the caster-wheel to accommodate itself to unevenness in the ground, and also avoid the liability of injury to the parts when said hanger or caster-wheel strikes an obstruction. The hanger is further pivoted or jointed to the tongue, and a lever is connected therewith, so that the hanger can be raised or lowered to adapt the tongue to change its angle to the frame of the machine when it is desired to lower the guards of the harvester or mower.

To enable others to understand my invention, I will now proceed to describe the same in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is aside elevation. Fig. 2 is a top plan View, and Fig. 3 is a detail perspective View of the hanger detached from the tongue.

Like numerals of reference denote corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings, referring to which 1 designates so much of a frame of a harvester or mowing-machine as will enable others skilled in the art to which my invention relates to understand the same; 2 the carrying-wheel carried on a suitable axle journaled in said frame; and 3, the tongue or draft-pole, which is jointed at its rear end to the frame, all of said parts being of the ordinary well-known construction.

To the tongue, at a pointa short distance in rear of the doubletree l, is connected a depending hanger 5, which carries a casterwheelfi at its lower end that is adapted to ride or travel on the surface of the ground. The hanger proper consists of two longitudinally-curved springs 7 8, which are separated laterally a short distance, and the upper ends of said springs are secured to acommon rockshaft 9, while the lower extremities of the springs are joined by a transverse bar 10, to the middle of which the vertical post or shank of the caster-wheel is connected.

The rock-shaft 9 is enlarged at its ends, as at 11, and journaled at its middle between said enlarged heads 11 in a fixed bearing 12, that is secured to the lower side of the tongue 3 at a point in rear of the doubletree 4, and these heads 11 are provided with recesses or grooves 13, in which are fitted the upper ends of the springs 7 8. Each spring 7 8 is provided with an auxiliary spring 14, which lies parallel with and bears against one of the lateral faces (preferably the upper) of said spring, and the upper end of each auxiliary spring is secured to the head 11 of the rockshaft by being fitted between the shoulders, which are formed by each recess 13 and by a clip 15, which is bolted through the main spring and its auxiliary spring, the lower end of the clip being provided with depending cars, which take off lateral strain from the springs at their point of union. The lower ends of the auxiliary springs are not united or secured rigidly to the main springs; but they terminate a short distance at one side of the transverse connecting-bar and have lateral depending flanges which embrace the edges of the main springs, and thus prevent lateral displacement of the auxiliary springs on the main springs.

The transverse connecting-bar is arranged on the lower side of the unconfined free ends of the main springs, and is secured directly thereto by bolts or otherwise, and to the middle of this bar is connected or swiveled the vertical bolt or shank of the support in which the horizontal shaft of the caster-wheel is journalcd, said bolt or shank being capable of turning freely on its axis to permit the easter-wheel to change its position when the line of draft or movement of the machine is changed, as is obvious.

To adjust the hanger in proper position for effective service when the angle or position of the tongue with relation to the frame of the machine is changedas, for instance, when the frame is lowered to adjust the guards and cutting apparatus into operative position-I have provided mechanism for raising or lowering the hanger by the attendant occupying the drivers seat. This adjusting mechanism comprises an upright lever 16, arranged within convenient reach of the driver and con-- nected by an intermediate rod 16 with an arm 17, that is secured directly to one end of the rock-shaft, a locking-bolt 18, and means for operating the same, being applied to the lever in position to engage a rack 19 for looking said lever 16 and the hanger in the positions to which said parts are adjusted.

The operation and advantages of my invention will be readily understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art to which it relates from the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings.

The hanger supports the tongue and relieves the animals of the weight of the tongue and frame of the machine, and in passing Over rough ground or obstructions the hanger yields or gives, and thus avoids breakage and injury to the parts. To lower the frame and adjust the cutting apparatus and guards for service, the lever is thrown forward to turn the rock-shaft and raise the hanger, which thus permits the frame and tongue to assume a lower position; but by reversing the lever the hanger is lowered and the frame elevated, while at the same time the tongue is supported by the hanger and caster-wheel.

I am aware that changes in the form and proportion of parts and details of construction can be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing the advantages of my invention, and I would therefore have it understood that I do not confine myself to the exact construction herein shown and described as an embodiment of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A tongue-support consisting of a springmetal bar forming a hanger and adapted to be connected at one end to a tongue in such a manner as to incline downwardly therefrom, and a caster-wheel swiveled to the lower unconfined end of said bar, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. A tongue-support consisting of a depending hanger formed by two connected springs, which are secured at their upper extremities to the tongue and provided with a casterwheel at their lower unconfined ends, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. The combination, with a pivoted tongue, of an adjustable hanger pivoted to the tongue and carrying a caster-wheel, and a lever supported on the frame of the machine or vehicle and connected to said hanger to adjust the latter vertically, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. The combination, with a tongue, of a rock-shaft journaled thereon, the depending springs rigidly secured to said rock-shaft and carrying a caster-wheel at their free ends, and a lever connected to said rock-shaft, substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. A tongue-support consisting of the longitudinally-curved springs secured at one end to a common support and carrying a casterwheel at their unconfined ends, and the auxiliary springs connected to said main springs, substantially as and for the purpose described.

6. In a tongue-support, the combination, with a pivoted tongue, of a rock-shaft having the longitudinally-curved springs secured thereto, a caster-wheel journaled in a bar connecting the unconfined ends of said springs, an arm fixed to the rock-shaft, and a lever connected by an intermediate rod with said arm, as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MARTIN LUTHER IIORNER.

lVitnesses:

WILBER S. WEARING, C. G. I-IAMM. 

